Get out & grow for the burn
There’s no need to worry that the gyms are all closed – get stuck in outdoors and give yourself a great workout in the garden instead The great thing is the physical activity will aid us mentally too
For a healthy mind and body, it’s great to give gardening a go. Fitness is an important part of our weekly routine and I’m going to show you how your garden can give you all the tools you need for an all-round health high.
Fruitful fitness
The garden is not just a place for pretty plants, it’s also a place where you can stay active – and it might surprise you just how good a workout you can get in your outside space. Gardening works all the major muscle groups in your legs, buttocks, arms, shoulders, neck, back and core, simply by offering enjoyable activities that make you move.
It can also do wonders for your physical shape. A 2013 study found gardeners had a significantly lower BMI (body mass index) than their non-gardening neighbours.
Just three hours’ work in the garden can compare to around an hour of intensive working out in a gym.
Growing kids
What’s more, gardening is great for the littlies because it engages in both gross and fine motor development – the movement and actions of our bone structure.
The difference between gardening and so many other activities is that gardening covers it all.
It develops our fine motor skills during small, precise, intricate tasks, such as tying in honeysuckle or jasmine climbers, sowing small seeds or deadheading flowers. But our gross motor skills are also engaged when we’re gardening. Think of large, considerable and powerful movements, like when you’re digging soil, lifting containers or mowing.
Calorie count
If anyone wants to incorporate gardening into their routine to stay in shape, here’s how all those different jobs can count:
PLANTING: This can burn 177 calories per hour in men and 135 calories in women.
WEEDING: Now this can really get your blood flowing. It works your body in a similar way to a crosstrainer machine, focusing especially on the shoulder and arm muscles, but also giving your thighs and bottom a good workout from all of the up and down movements and squatting. Just half an hour’s weeding can burn up to 150 calories.
MOWING: Trade the treadmill for a
lawnmower and get yourself moving. For most of us, who use petrol or electric-powered devices, looking after the lawn will mainly help tone up our legs and buttocks. But If you have a manual push mower, you will work out your upper body too. RAKING: Just raking leaves for a quarter of an hour a week works up enough of a sweat to burn 63 calories. That’s 3,276 in a year! DIGGING: This can burn 197 calories per hour in men and 150 calories in women, depending on how long and how intensively you’re working. So swap the weight bench for a shovel. It will activate almost every part of your body, but with more force than raking, so it is more similar to using the weight machines in the gym. Just remember to be careful not to injure yourself. Good stretching is really important before you get started.
And, like at the gym, change your gardening activities frequently. Swap jobs every 15 minutes or so if you can. And warm down when you’re finished with more gentle stretching.
Mentality treats
The great thing is that all this physical GADGET of the week
This attractive rustic-style vegetable store will sit on a kitchen, larder or laundry room worktop. Its slatted shelves allow air to circulate and keep your home-grown or shop-bought veggies dry and mould-free, preserving them for longer. For further information visit johnlewis. com activity aids us mentally too. During exercise, we release endorphins – “happy hormones” – known to boost mental wellbeing.
Gardening is especially uplifting because it offers that exercise high.
And studies have shown humans are more at ease and relaxed outdoors because of our natural affiliation with nature. It helps us rest our minds and allows our attention to wander freely, helping to relieve mental fatigue.
And it’s not just outside where we can reap these benefits. Active interaction with indoor plants (like touching and smelling) can reduce physiological and psychological stress.
Our brains are wired to release a beneficial chemical called dopamine when we see flowers. So colourful plants are always a winner.
Horticultural healing
As well as bolstering us, gardening has the ability to inwardly heal.
In 2016, The King’s Fund found it reduced depression and anxiety and improved social function, emotional well-being and health. So, it’s an excellent idea to do 30 minutes of outdoor work a day.
The learning experience of gardening can boost wellbeing. Setting targets and achieving them creates positive feelings of success.
So if you’ve hit a rut, garden up a glut! And if you’re new to gardening, now is a fine time to join in.
The uplifting experience of being outside and active makes us feel better. It’s a no-brainer. Get gardening and harvest a healthier you.